Scan barcode
starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A delightful Jewish fantasy adventure that would have meant the world to me as a young reader.
We’re following Zach, a middle schooler who discovered an unusual antique at a flea market alongside his annoying little sister Naomi. It’s a magical ring - but while it grants him some cool powers, it also summons Ashmedai, King of Demons.
Now Zach, his best friend Sandra, and Ash have to somehow defeat monsters from Jewish folklore, avoid a secret society, and stop an apocalypse. Oh, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to also take down Zach’s school bully and impress the boy he’s crushing on.
Ring of Solomon is short and takes off at rapid speed. There was SO much interesting content here and so much that I wish we could have had time to explore more. I know this is the start of a series, but I think the events of this book could have easily been spread out and expanded. I would have loved more character development for Sandra, more history on Ash, more exploration of Zach’s queer identity, a deeper dive into the Jewish folklore behind the monsters, an expansion of Zach and Sandra’s varying experiences with faith, and so on.
My attention never dropped & I had SO much fun reading. If you know anything about me, you’ll know that pretty much all I need to be happy is a talking animal scene. And we get several. :)
I also think the integration of casual antisemitic experience was done well - it will be all too familiar for Jewish kids and perhaps eye-opening for others.
Overall, this was a fast-paced chaotic adventure that I would recommend to any middle grader looking to take on a new Percy-Jackson-esque read.
CW: bullying, antisemitism, homophobia, slavery, racism, violence, blood, fire, vomit, drowning, kidnapping, brief mention of restricted eating
Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Racism, Bullying, Violence, Blood, Homophobia, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Kidnapping
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I think my new favorite genre is Jewish middle grade fantasy where children accidentally befriend a demon/other magical creature. I am so pleased that there are so many Jewish fantasy books out now that I actually have a list to recommend people! I would have loved that as a kid.
The “Dear Reader” at the start was very touching and I loved it. And even in the fantasy setting, Polydoros sets up the very real feeling of “otherness” that comes from being Jewish or queer or Jewish AND queer. And the added helplessness of being part of a minority group while being harassed by school bullies and the way teachers just ignore it instead of taking a stand. I know the book is really more geared toward the fantasy and apocalypse plot but it does a great job paralleling to real world discrimination.
My only complaints were the kind of like “boy humor” jokes which were kind of gross but I know I’m not the target audience so it’s something I can forgive and then also the way the ending just seemed to kind of trail off. Open endings are fine but this seemed waaaay more broadly open ended.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
The “Dear Reader” at the start was very touching and I loved it. And even in the fantasy setting, Polydoros sets up the very real feeling of “otherness” that comes from being Jewish or queer or Jewish AND queer. And the added helplessness of being part of a minority group while being harassed by school bullies and the way teachers just ignore it instead of taking a stand. I know the book is really more geared toward the fantasy and apocalypse plot but it does a great job paralleling to real world discrimination.
My only complaints were the kind of like “boy humor” jokes which were kind of gross but I know I’m not the target audience so it’s something I can forgive and then also the way the ending just seemed to kind of trail off. Open endings are fine but this seemed waaaay more broadly open ended.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Bullying, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery
More...